Announcement: Donovan and the 04's

[shanksta13]

Donovan is supposed to confirm that he is staying at the University of Florida in a few short minutes. In addition the 04's (Horford, Noah, Brewer and Green) are all supposed to announce their decision to enter the NBA Draft. The announcement is supposed to come at 4:00 P.M. ET. Please post here if you here anything.

[OmahaBound]

They're gone according to Donovan. ESPN.com - NCB - Goin' pro: Florida's four juniors to enter NBA draft (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2827116)

Florida coach Billy Donovan told ESPN.com that juniors and likely first-round draft picks Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green will declare for the draft by the April 29th deadline and sign with agents, preventing them from returning for their senior season.

The Florda juniors and lone senior Lee Humphrey are the only starting five to ever win back-to-back NCAA titles.

A number of NBA sources consider Horford, Noah and Brewer potential top 10 picks while Green is considered to go somewhere in the first round. All four decided against testing the draft process last year after winning a national title. All but Brewer are the sons of professional athletes.

Donovan said he returned to the team hotel in the early hours Tuesday after the Gators won their second straight national championship, met with his four heralded juniors and was pretty direct.

"What do you guys think about doing it three times?" he asked.

"All of their shoulders slumped down," Donovan said. "They said, 'We're exhausted.'"

The Gators are also bidding farewell to senior starting guard Lee Humphrey and reserve forward Chris Richard, meaning they will lose the top six players off a championship-level team.

"I told Jeremy [Foley, Florida's athletic director] that we're back to starting over," Donovan said. "We'll have a total new team and for the staff we're excited about the challenge. We'll have a great opportunity to player here. But there will be a real, real major drop off."

Donovan said the four juniors assured him that they would stay in school and finish the semester. Under the new academic restrictions, a school can be penalized if students leave for the NBA and aren't in good academic standing.

"I told them that this was critical for me," Donovan said. "It's the best thing for them, if they want to graduate later, and for the institution. I don't anticipate any of them dropping out of school."

[GatorHunter]

Good luck to the '04s...they came back last year when no one believed they would...won another SEC Championship and followed it up by repeating as National Champions...what more could a Gator ask for?

Funny thing about this bunch...none were highly regarded recruits...not a single McDonald's All-American if memory serves me correct...

The Gators have a top 3 class coming in, so, we should be fine.

Congrats to the '04s!!!! True Gators!!!!

[shanksta13]

Good luck to the '04s...they came back last year when no one believed they would...won another SEC Championship and followed it up by repeating as National Champions...what more could a Gator ask for?

Funny thing about this bunch...none were highly regarded recruits...not a single McDonald's All-American if memory serves me correct...

The Gators have a top 3 class coming in, so, we should be fine.

Congrats to the '04s!!!! True Gators!!!!

I think Brewer was a McDonald's All-American. I know one of them was, anyway.



EDIT: Brewer was a McDonald's All-American. None of the other three were.

[OmahaBound]

Per Rivals...

Horford was the #36 prospect in the nation, Noah was the #75 prospect in the nation, Humphrey was the #81 prospect, Brewer was #31, Green was #105, and the '04 class as a team was ranked 15th overall.

Do you still think they weren't highly regarded?

If so I'm gonna go sit down and cry for a little while, because I was excited to see two of our recruits made the top 150 this year at #115 and #133. Mike Jones, Chad Gray, Downey, and Frederick better live up to the hype or we're in trouble.:glare:

[lacene]

Horford, Green, and Richard played basketball in their bare feet in high school.

Brewer was only 5 feet tall when he signed with Florida as a freshman.

and Noah was a tennis player for France's Davis Cup team.

Donovan took them all and molded them into a 2-time NCAA championship team.

He is a GOD......



:dry:

[gatorunvrsty]

The press conference was on ESPN News at 4:00. At one time or another, all four broke down in tears recounting the last 3 years together. Horford was too choked up to respond at first. But, then Noah started telling stories about food fights in their freshman year (all four lived together for the last 3 years), and the mood lightened up enough for him to speak. Then a reporter asked Brewer something about their relationship with each other, and he broke down in tears, too; and said the reason they played the way they did, was because they loved each other and played like they owed it to one another. I've never seen anything like it. Noah was calm and well-spoken (unlike many interviews), and recounted stories of their days and nights together. They did absolutely everything together. Every meal, nights out, etc.. Their freshman year, they didn't play much; so they worked out non-stop... pushing each other, and saying things like "We're going to be Champions" over and over during push-ups and workouts. They all stopped in front of the Gator Diner before every meal, and did pull-ups on the bar installed in the entrance. It was really touching... hell...I thought I might break down in tears, myself. They're staying in school to finish their semester. That will leave them in academic good standing; and preserve BD's 100% graduation rate. BD told reporters they were witnessing what happens when guys pour their hearts out for each other; and that they are being real, and showing them all what sacrifice for TEAM really means. When asked will they be getting together every 20 years for reunions, Noah laughed and said, "20 years?". We're getting together for a reunion tonight; and will be forever. We may go our seperate ways, but friends like this are for life." :thumpsup:

EDIT: It was such a welcome change from a guy talking about himself, and what he owes himself. Not one of them gave credit to himself. Each one said none of any of this would have happened if it wasn't for the guys next to him, including Donovan, of course. Brewer said, "Coach taught us to play like family. We owed our best effort to the man standing next to us." That lesson sure paid off. These guys are the very definition of boys to men.

[Gator2753]

Noah, Horford, Brewer, Green(Draft) & Humphrey(Senior). The best 5 to ever wear the blue & orange together. Together they made history. Together they played like a team. There will never be another 5 like this I dont care if Donovan reels in a #1 recruiting class 5years in row.
The Gator nation will miss you dearly but we will never forget you. Thank you for your outstanding play and work ethic and a big THANK YOU for coming back and giving us one more year.
I wish them all well in the NBA:thumpsup:

[gatorunvrsty]

Here are the transcripts of today's press conference. It's a good read for those interested: Scout.com: TRANSCRIPTS: Donovan and Juniors (http://florida.scout.com/2/633074.html)

[GatorHunter]

Horford, Green, and Richard played basketball in their bare feet in high school.

Brewer was only 5 feet tall when he signed with Florida as a freshman.

and Noah was a tennis player for France's Davis Cup team.

Donovan took them all and molded them into a 2-time NCAA championship team.

He is a GOD......



:dry:

Maybe one day, your school will win.......something...and you won't have to "troll" Gator threads...:ph34r:

My point was...before the "04's"...the Gator teams were full of McDonald All-Americans...Walsh, Miller, Lee...and never played as a team or did much else aside from the occasional SEC Championship...these 5 came together and proved that, at least in basketball, you don't have to have a top class to win championships.

[OmahaBound]

Maybe one day, your school will win.......something...


Sounds like someone's just jealous of our equestrian and women's track national championships.:laugh:

[GatorHunter]

Sounds like someone's just jealous of our equestrian and women's track national championships.:laugh:

I admit it...you saw right through me!:laugh:

[gatorunvrsty]

Sounds like someone's just jealous of our equestrian and women's track national championships.:laugh:

I thought Auburn won the equestrian NC. I don't understand how you guys have avoided flaming and trash talking about who's the best.;)

[OmahaBound]

I thought Auburn won the equestrian NC. I don't understand how you guys have avoided flaming and trash talking about who's the best.;)

We won some of the events last year but the team title went to Auburn. In '05 we won it all though and there were riots in the streets of Columbia. Cars were tipped over. Garbage cans lit on fire and fire hydrants spraying water everywhere. It was crazy good times! I don't even want to delve into the public debauchery displayed after we won the women's track title in '04.

[GatorHunter]

We won some of the events last year but the team title went to Auburn. In '05 we won it all though and there were riots in the streets of Columbia. Cars were tipped over. Garbage cans lit on fire and fire hydrants spraying water everywhere. It was crazy good times! I don't even want to delve into the public debauchery displayed after we won the women's track title in '04.


:uglyhamme :rofl: :welcome: :yelrotflm :lol: :rolling2: :lolup: :LOL_Hair: